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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Battlecry! / Skirmish Units / Building Skirmish Encounters / 4. Add the Right Enemies

Leaders

Source Battlecry! pg. 166
A variety in leaders can be just as important as a variety of troops. Even two of the same troop can play differently if they have two different leaders or one has a leader and the other doesn’t. Usually, you’ll want to choose leaders out of the base XP budget before adjusting for troops. If you want to focus the narrative on one significant leader, spend much of your budget on one NPC who’s 2 levels higher than the PCs. If you want a more even battle, choose leaders of the PCs’ level or 1 lower.

Including troops with no leaders lets you bring the full set of skirmish rules into play. Troops who can be routed can simplify the battlefield quickly and make the PCs feel powerful. Usually, you’ll want at least one or two leaderless troops in a skirmish encounter.